New Life Forms discovered inside human bodies - inside you!

Every time we think we’re close to fully understanding the human body, something fresh and unexpected shows up. Recently, a team of researchers stumbled upon strange entities, or obelisks, living inside of human bodies that had escaped notice until now.

Their surprising presence challenges assumptions and raises pressing questions about what else might be lurking unseen inside us.

Hidden presence

These new visitors appear smaller than the viruses most people learn about in basic biology classes. Rather than behaving like familiar microbes, they introduce themselves as something different.

Their discovery came about when researchers began analyzing massive genetic libraries, searching for patterns that did not match any known organisms. 

This unusual find was led by Nobel Prize winner in Medicine Andrew Fire, from Stanford University.

Obelisks throughout human bodies

It is not just a single type of obelisk. Thousands of unique varieties have turned up when scientists comb through genetic datasets.

Discoveries have emerged from multiple locations around the world, indicating that these intruders are not rare oddities tucked away in one place.

Not only are these obelisks found far and wide, they also appear in different parts of the human body. They have cropped up in bacteria from the mouthand in those dwelling in the intestinal tract.

The genetic signatures hint that distinct types prefer particular regions. This suggests an intricate relationship with our internal ecosystems, though it is too soon to say what they are doing there.

Evolutionary puzzles

Their unusual nature stirs questions about how viruses, viroids, and these newcomers might be related. 

A persistent puzzle has always been whether today’s viruses originated from simpler RNA forms or if they started out more complex and shed traits over time.

Entities like obelisks add color to these debates, leaving scientists wondering how ancient these forms might be and how they took shape during the planet’s biological history.